


Group Therapy

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-23
Updated: 2005-12-23
Packaged: 2019-01-19 13:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: An unlikely pair finds consolation at the funeral for James and Lily Potter.  One-shot.





	Group Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

It was a strange feeling, knowing you were the last.

The last of the Gryffindor boys from your year, the last of the Marauders, the last of the brotherhood.

And yet, the pain had somewhat turned him numb.

He stood outside the “mercy luncheon”� held in honor of the Potter’s.  Tomorrow, he’d attend a similar one in honor of Peter Pettigrew, the great hero who stood up to evil, treacherous Sirius Black.

It was so ironic that he could nearly laugh.

Remus Lupin was in desperate need of a cigarette, and he knew he wouldn’t be provided one, as it had always been Sirius who had supplied him with the means necessary for his nasty habit.

Rubbing his tired eyes, he took a deep breath, wondering exactly what had happened.

He knew they were in trouble, but really, before three days ago, hadn’t everyone been in trouble?  The moment they held up their hands and swore to defend the innocent as members of The Order of the Phoenix they lived on borrowed time.

People walked in and out of the brick building, and while the sadness of the situation seemed to connect mildly, all anyone really wanted to do was bring out the champagne and celebrate the end of a horrible era.

The war was over, Remus understood that.  No one wanted to pause and remember the sacrifices and casualties lost in its wake.

But Remus had to.  For he had lost everything there was to loose.

“Excuse me?”�  he turned to see a bony, horse-like woman with an unusually large neck staring at him, looking positively lost.

“Can I help you?”� he asked tentatively, not really wanting to deal with people.

“Is this the funeral for-“

“Lily and James?  Yeah, this is the place,”� he finished for her, hoping she would leave him alone now that he had affirmed her location.

“I feel silly being here, you know.  My husband would be furious if he knew.  We didn’t even really talk toward the end, you know.”�

“Really?  That’s interesting,”� he replied, his tone inferring that it was anything but.

“You have no clue who I am, do you?”�

“Listen, lady, I’m sorry that you’re confused, but I feel as though I’ve lost both a brother and a sister, so if you’ll excuse me-“

“Do you?  Do you really understand what it feels like to have lost a sister?  Because let me tell you, this is the second time I’ve lost her and it doesn’t feel any better than the first and-“

The blonde woman dissolved in tears, and suddenly he understood.  Petunia Evans.  Lily’s sister.  He could count on one hand the times Lily had mentioned Petunia in the ten years she had known him and most of it had been negative.  

But somehow, none of it mattered.  This was Lily’s sister, the last Evans.

“When I found out, it made me regret everything.  I was always going to fix things before it got too late.  I just never knew that it was always too late.  Your world was so dangerous…she never told me.”�

Remus was at a loss for words.  What could he possibly say to this woman, this woman whom he was sure Lily had hated.  This despicable woman, who, after the death of their parents, had left Lily to fend for herself at the tender age of sixteen.  This woman, who they had all come to loathe for making their Lily cry.  She had no right to mourn his loss.

But yet, as she stood there, her pain obvious on her bony face, something inside of him snapped.

“She didn’t really like you much.  But you were the only family she ever had.  She always wanted your approval, and somehow, I think that you’re here today will give her peace.”�

She gave a watery chuckle and shook her head.  “We used to be close, the best of friends.  But then, I don’t know, she went to Hogwarts and found better siblings.  You for example, I presume. And I guess it was around that time that I first lost her. To your world.”�

Petunia sighed, rubbing her temple.  She looked at the door.

“It’s funny, I can’t even go in there.  They’d all know I’m the evil sister and made Lily’s life miserable.”�

“No one’s making you.  I can’t go in there myself, you know.”�

“You must feel awful.  I heard that her whole group of friends met some sort of tragedy.  You must have escaped.”�

“I hardly escaped.  I’ll live with the grief for the rest of my life.  But then again, at least I won’t have the regret.”�

“No, that you won’t.”�

The stood in silence for a while, each brewing in their own thoughts.  Finally, it was Petunia that broke the silence.

“I have to go.  Two children to look after when I get back.”�

“Ah, I forgot you’re looking out for Harry.  Tell him his Uncle Moony says hello, would you?”�

She smiled, nodded her head.  “You can drop by sometime if you’d like.  During the day only, though.  My husband wouldn’t like it.”�

Remus nodded, knowing fully well that she was only being polite.  Lily had told him once she despised anything and everything magic.  She didn’t want him there, which was fine, as he didn’t really want to go.

And as they parted ways, neither was really feeling amazingly consoled.  Their grief was still immense, yet somehow, it helped slightly knowing they weren’t the only lasts.  And as the last Marauder and last Evans said good-bye to go back to separate, lonely worlds, each passed by an arrangement of lilies, and somehow, they knew, she was there.

And neither felt so alone, even if it was only for that moment.

 

 

Fin.


End file.
